The present invention relates to a surface cleaning apparatus, and, more particularly, to sweeping hoods, i.e., pickup heads for vehicle-mounted street sweepers and particularly for surface cleaning sweepers, especially sweepers using an air recirculation system to generate air pressure and suction. Heretofore, sweeping heads having both air pressure blast and suction or suction hoods having only suction have been found inadequate when sweeping debris from a paved or other surface. Debris often adheres or otherwise sticks to the surface of pavement because of being repeatedly forced into the surface by vehicles using the roadway. The problem of adherent debris has been addressed by using a vehicle-mounted rotating broom to mechanically dislodge debris followed by a separate air/suction or vacuum sweeper. As can be appreciated, the use of two different types of sweeping machines increases the costs associated with debris removal. In an attempt to eliminate the necessity of utilizing both mechanical broom sweepers immediately followed by air/suction or vacuums weepers, several broom-in-the-head sweepers were developed and used. One fault with the previous broom-in-the-head designs is that the mechanical broom is placed behind the blast orifice. In air/vacuum type sweepers, the high pressure air blast does not allow even a high rotational-speed broom to throw much of the debris through the curtain of high pressure air, and, as this occurs, the mechanical broom positioned at the rear becomes overwhelmed by a buildup of debris; the broom tends to climb over the debris which is then lost behind the sweeper. Additionally, in the earlier broom-in-the-head sweepers, the mechanical broom located behind the blast orifice was positioned straight across in a transverse attitude, thus, the ability to position the mechanical broom at a slight angle to create a windrow effect upon the debris was not readily possible. As this situation occurs, usually after a rain, after snow melts, around construction sites, behind road spills from vehicular haulers, and other instances, and especially during spring cleanup (which involves several months every year), mechanical broom sweepers followed by air/vacuum sweepers are utilized traveling in tandem. This combination of a leading mechanical broom and a trailing air/suction sweeper, of course, adds to cost of pavement sweeping cleaning.